Why Wishes Can't Come True
by SophieSaulie
Summary: Dean makes a real wish and it comes true. WARNING: Character death.
1. Chapter 1

**Why wishes can't come true**

**CHAPTER ONE:**

Michalena watched as the beast thundered towards her with every step it took. She stumbled backwards until she hit a wall. She knew that she was cornered. It towered over her, its green, reptilian skin crawling as if it, too, was alive. Its growls vibrated her being. She watched, stunned, as it lifted its clawed paw to strike her, but just as she expected to feel the claw rip into her, she suddenly felt herself being tackled out of harm's way. She stumbled to the ground, along with someone else. Her breath was knocked from her lungs, and she could hear her rescuer struggling for air, too. She looked up, but all she could see was a man, dressed in a weathered leather jacket and jeans, with dark blonde hair, a flash of what she thought were green eyes. He rose up immediately, not taking any time to recover from the fall. He told her to stay down and she happily complied. He had a sword in his hand, one that she recognized by the engravings as the only weapon that could kill the beast. The man raised it up and plunged it deep into the beast's chest. It roared with anger and pain, but had enough strength to swipe at the man, sending him hurtling through the air across the room. She gasped with concern, but feared moving and being captured. She cursed her cowardice knowing the man had probably saved her life at the expense of his own. The beast roared again, but finally disintegrated into a thin mist. A hush filled the room until a soft moan broke the silence. The man who had rescued her was back on his feet and was walking towards her. When he reached her, he helped her up, grimacing while doing it.

"Are you all right?" He asked.

"Yes, yes, I am, but I think I should be asking you that."

Her rescuer looked down at his wound then suddenly started to waver. She grabbed at him to keep him from falling, but his legs started to give way.

"Damn it," was the only thing he uttered before he lost consciousness.

**oooo**

Dean woke up groggily and tried to find out where he was. The last thing he remembered was pushing a woman out of the way of an attacking beast then just before he plunged a sword into it to kill it, he felt it cut into him with its claws. All he remembered after that was feeling stinging pain then blacking out.

He tried to lift himself up from the bed he was on only to find that he couldn't because he had been taped tightly around his mid-section. A soft hand pushed down on his shoulder to lay him back down.

"Try not to move or your wound will start bleeding again," a soft voice said.

Dean turned and saw the woman he had rescued from the beast.

"Where am I?" Dean asked.

"You're in my home," she replied.

"Are you okay?" Dean asked, sincere, if not tired, concern in his voice.

Michalena marveled at how his concern for her prevailed over his own injuries.

"I'm fine. Thanks to you," she said.

Dean nodded then laid back, feeling bone-deep tired.

"You'll need to rest. The beast cut into you deeply. You lost a lot of blood."

Dean nodded again in agreement.

"Can I ask you your name?" She asked.

"Dean."

"I'm Michalena," she said. "Thank you for saving me."

Dean dismissed the gratitude with a quick nod.

"Why was it after you anyway?" Dean asked.

"It was sent to kill me," she said sadly.

"What? Why?"

"I'm an outcast in my culture. A half-breed."

"Why should that be a problem?"

She smiled at his innocence, at least from the perspective of her world.

"I'm half-empath, half-genie."

"What? You mean the Barbara Eden kind of genie or…" Dean trailed off, his eyes widening. "Or are you a djinn?"

"I'm not a djinn. I don't feed on humans. I promise you you're not in danger."

Dean looked at her skeptically, but rationalized that if she had been a djinn, he would have been in some kind of fantasyland.

"Doesn't seem like a very good reason to kill someone. And why a beast hit-man?"

She smiled at Dean's casual, humorous questioning.

"Because I'm an empath, I feel emotions like pain and fear. I couldn't subject anyone to the kind of fantasy torture that full-blooded djinns do, plus I don't feed on blood. I'm more human that way. They need to keep the line pure. I'm tainted in their view," she explained. "The beast was just doing a job it was sent to do. I guess you could say, it's their way of killing me without getting their hands dirty."

Dean nodded in understanding. Suddenly, his eyes went wide when he remembered that he had forgotten about Sam. He tried to rise again, but pain assaulted him and he had to lie back down.

"What? What is it?" she asked, worried by his reaction.

"Sam. I need to tell him where I am, that I'm okay."

"Your brother?"

"Yeh, how'd you know?"

"I felt your strong emotion for him just now and it told me who he was."

"My emotions told you that?" Dean scoffed.

"Yes, I'm not a mind reader, but when emotions are very strong, they communicate to me and tell me things. I felt your concern, your protectiveness, your love for him."

Dean looked away, a bit embarrassed at having revealed so much to her.

"Don't be embarrassed. You weren't betraying anything. It's who I am. It's what I do. I can't help it anymore than you can help wanting to save people," Michalena said and smiled.

Dean then looked at her.

"Yeh, well…" Dean evaded. "I need to get a hold of Sam. Do you have a phone?"

Michalena walked over to a small table and took Dean's cell from it. She handed it to him then helped him to a sitting position.

"I'll leave you so you can have some privacy."

Dean nodded, "Thanks."

Michalena smiled then left, closing the door behind her. Dean found Sam in his speed dial and punched the call in. Sam answered immediately which told Dean how worried Sam had been.

"Dean? Are you okay? Where are you?" Sam asked, panic in his voice. "I've been trying to get a hold of you."

"Relax, Sammy, I'm okay. I found the beast. It was after the woman like we figured. I killed it, but it got a swipe in."

"God, are you all right?"

"Yeh, I'm okay. The woman, Michalena, patched me up, but I'm gonna have to stay put for now. She's got me so bandaged I feel like a mummy.")."

"Okay, are you at the house?"

"Yeh."

"Good, I'll be there in about a hour," Sam said. "I'm glad you're okay. I was –"

"Scared?" Dean teased.

"Worried," Sam insisted.

"Well, don't fret, you girl, I'm okay."

"Yeh, yeh. I'll see you soon, you freak," Sam said and hung up.

Dean hung up too, but allowed his thoughts to stray as he stared at his phone. He was startled from his daydreaming by Michalena who had come in with two cups in her hands.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to…I just thought you might like to have some coffee."

"Read that in my emotions too, did you?" Dean teased as he took one of the cups from her. "Bless you."

Michalena smiled and handed the cup over to him.

"You're worried about your brother," she said as she sat in a nearby chair.

Dean smiled as he took a sip.

"I was born worried about him," Dean joked.

"You're worried about leaving him," she continued.

Dean's face was lined with pain and sadness when she had read his feelings.

"You know, you're going to have to cut that out. It's really starting to creep me out," he joked.

"Sorry, like I said, I can't help it, but I **can** help not being so nosy so I'll stop," she smiled nervously.

Dean felt guilty for teasing her. He knew that she wasn't trying to be nosy.

"No, no, it's okay. I'm just not used to being read so easily," Dean smiled shakily as he took another sip of coffee.

"Is Sam coming to get you?" she asked, feeling a change of subject was in order.

Dean nodded, "In about an hour."

He looked at her as she drank from her cup, curiosity written on his face.

"Yes, I'm that kind of genie, but I can't claim Barbara Eden's belly button," she teased.

Dean's face then blushed a bit at having been read again.

"You're wondering if I can really grant wishes," she paused. "Yes, I can. I'm not a djinn. I don't create fantasies. I can truly grant you anything you want and yes, I owe you that for saving my life."

Michalena was enjoying befuddling Dean. Despite his hardened exterior, she sensed a gentle and deeply burdened soul. Something was giving him pain and even though she didn't like to pry, she felt a deep need to help him.

"Wow…" Dean said in awe. "Gotta say, you're good."

"Do you have a wish?" She asked.

Dean's face quickly hardened as he stared into his cup, "No, no I don't."

"A wish for someone else then? For your brother?"

She watched as Dean's face crumbled under the mask he was trying to hold up then looked at her.

"Can you do that? I mean, can I really wish for him instead of for myself?"

"Yes, but is there nothing you desire?"

Dean laughed, "Plenty, but I'm trying to keep it rated G here."

Michalena couldn't help, but giggle at his joke.

He then became serious again.

"No, I don't want anything."

"You really mean you feel you **can't** have anything," Michalena corrected. "But why?"

Dean cleared his throat.

"I've already gone through this once before with a djinn and though I know it was just a fantasy and as much as I wanted to stay in it…I can't change my past. People would die because I wasn't there to help them. I couldn't live with that. Having what I want can't cost someone else's life."

Michalena listened intently and was impressed at how for all of the wishes she had granted in her life, no one had ever considered how their wish would impact others. It was all about what they wanted. She never cast blame or judged them for that. It was only human to desire, but Dean was different.

"But Dean, you'd have no memory of your life as a hunter, you'd never know –"

"I'd know," Dean insisted.

His reaction surprised her. The insistence in his voice, the certainty in it, she found herself believing him.

"What do you wish for your brother?"

Dean's face then changed to one of regret.

"To be happy. To have what he should've had if –" Dean stumbled.

"What makes you think he isn't happy now, that being with you –"

"No, you don't understand. Sam deserved to have a real family. He deserved to have a mother who loved him, a father who didn't think of him as a soldier. He deserved to go to college, become a geek lawyer and have the love of his life by his side. Not this. Not this life with me. "

"Don't you deserve those things too?" she asked.

"I did have that life. Oh, not the college or the girl, but I had a mother who loved me, a father who only cared about putting me to bed, a brother I kissed good night…I had those things. Sam should have had those things too," Dean sighed.

He rubbed his hands together nervously, squeezing them as if they were arthritic and painful.

"Instead, he's blaming himself for what'll happen to me. It isn't his fault, but that won't matter," Dean took in a breath. "He's trying to so hard to save me. He stays up nights researching. He worries whenever we go on a hunt that something will happen to me and…"

Dean put his interlaced hands up to his lips.

"I'm scared to death of what will happen to him after I'm gone. He'll be alone and…I'm afraid he'll…"

Dean tried standing up again, his bottled emotions spilling out in a need to move, but he moved too quickly again and pain flared in his chest. He sat back down on the bed with Michalena's help.

After taking a few breaths, Dean stared imploringly at her.

"Can you really fulfill a wish for Sam?"

She was moved by his unselfishness and said in a hushed whisper, "Yes."

Dean nodded as if making a decision then turned to her again.

"Can I ask for one selfish thing?"

Michalena looked at him slightly astonished and disbelieving. How could anything he could ask of her be selfish?

"I can't believe you're capable of being selfish, not from what I'm feeling, but of course, please ask."

"I don't want to forget the Sam I know. I want to remember the six month old Sam that Dad put into my arms to carry out of the fire, the Sam who was by my side through everything, who watched my back…" Dean swallowed thickly. "Can you change the past and still leave me…I don't know…intact, I guess?"

"Of course. I can also alter the past so that you never made that deal with the demon to save Sam."

Now, it was Dean's turn to be taken aback.

"How did you –"

"I just do," Michalena smiled, lightly throwing back the same certainty in her voice as he had in his.

Dean had to think for a moment. Did that matter now?

"Yes, it matters. It matters a great deal. You'd be saved from Hell. You have to let me give that to you."

Michalena was surprised by the insistence in her voice. Dean smiled widely.

"Well, far be it from me to deny a woman."

She laughed aloud and felt joy there. Dean allowed himself a small snicker as well.

"What do you need me to do?" he asked.

"Just close your eyes," she said.

"And what? Tap my heels and say, 'there's no place like home'?" Dean joked, closing his eyes.

Michalena smiled then asked, "Are you sure?"

Dean just nodded.

**oooo**

**TBC**

**Thanks to Tiffany for her exemplary beta-ing of this story. It's always appreciated!! Enjoy reading everyone. Hope you like it! **


	2. Chapter 2

**Why wishes can't come true**

**CHAPTER TWO:**

Dean woke up sitting on a couch, hearing voices around him, but not registering whose they were for a second. He felt a little disoriented, but remembered what he had asked of Michalena. He looked up and spotted his mom, still beautiful, but with a sad expression on her face. Then he saw his dad, robust, strong, looking seemingly disappointed, maybe even angry. That thought saddened him. Then there was Sam, rolling his eyes at him, but without the usual humor in them. Finally, he realized they were talking to him and he wasn't answering.

"Do you hear me, Dean?" his father bellowed. "This has got to stop."

Dean blinked a couple of times then said, "Yeh, yeh, I hear you, Dad."

"Do you? Because sometimes I wonder if you really do."

Dean felt a stab to his chest. He had done something to anger his father. Something he always tried not to do.

"I'm sorry, Dad," Dean said, his voice as contrite as he could make it.

His mother sat by him, bringing up her hands to stroke his face, and he could feel his pain and tension wash away.

"Honey, it's just that we're worried about you. You could have been killed. What were you thinking going out there, drunk and with a shot gun?"

Dean had put two and two together and realized that he must have been hunting when they had found him.

"I'm sorry I worried you, all of you. I promise it won't happen again."

"You've said that before, son, until the next time we get a call from the police in the middle of the night telling us where they found you. Your mother can't take much more of this."

"I know and I promise not to –"

His father heaved a heavy sigh and turned away, his hand rubbing his face in frustration. Sam just stood there, a look of utter disappointment and embarrassment on his face. The look crushed Dean to his core.

"Dean, you really have to stop doing this 'hunting' thing. People are beginning to talk about how they think you're crazy," Sam said, frustration in his voice. "Going after things that don't exist."

Dean understood. Michalena had read his emotions and had allowed him an "out", a way to keep his family safe, to be able to walk away from them and allow him to do his job. But he realized that as much as he wanted to protect them, he didn't want to leave them feeling disappointed in him or worse, hating him. That would be too much for even him to live with. He had learned from the djinn's fantasy that he had believed he was undeserving of a happy, normal life. That he could never measure up to the reality of a normal Winchester family. But this time, he knew he'd been given a chance to be a real part of his family. It wasn't a fantasy, this was his family as it should have been and he had a responsibility to make sure he lived up to it.

"Look, I know I've been an idiot and I'm really sorry," Dean said as he started to get up from the couch, "I know I've said it before and I don't blame you for not believing me. I know I'll have to earn that trust again, but this time, I swear, no more hunting, no more calls from the police. I never wanted to hurt you, all of you. I think that maybe I just need some time to sort things out, get things straight in my head."

He saw the raw concern on his mother's face and couldn't help but smile. He knew that she would love him no matter what he did. She always had. He cupped her face and kissed her cheek. He looked up at his father who was still looking away from him and Dean figured that he wasn't going to be as forgiving. In a weird way, he was just like the John Winchester he had known all his life. Stubborn, always had to be right, yet vulnerable, but unable to show it outwardly. Dean couldn't hold that against him and had decided to give his father time as well as a reason to believe in him again by keeping his word. Like any father, he was worried about his family and that made Dean more resolved than ever to rise up to that expectation of him. He walked towards Sam and put a hand on his shoulder. Sam's features softened as he stared into Dean's eyes. Dean could only smile. He couldn't find the right words that would make Sam see how much he loved him so he didn't try.

He headed for the front door just like he had in the djinn fantasy.

"Wait, Dean, where are you going?" his mom asked plaintively.

"Don't worry, Mom." Dean said. "I'll call you as soon as I get settled. I promise."

He bent and kissed her on the forehead.

"John, talk to him," his mother pleaded, but only got silence.

"It's okay, Mom. I love you. I love all of you," Dean said and walked out, closing the door behind him.

As he walked down the steps and towards the Impala, he heard Sam call out to him.

"Dean!"

He turned and waited for Sam to catch up.

"Dean, are you okay? You don't have to leave. Dad'll cool off. He always does," Sam assured.

Dean smiled as he felt Sam reaching out to him.

"I know. He has a right to be pissed. So do you. I'm sorry for letting him and Mom down, but most of all, I'm sorry for letting you down, but no matter what, Sam, I'll always be your brother. I've always got your back. Don't forget that."

Sam looked at his big brother, saw the vulnerability and was worried.

"Dean, you're scaring me here. You make it sound like I'm never going to see you again."

"No, no, I just needed you to know that, that's all. I just want everything to be okay between us."

"It is, Dean. You're my brother."

Dean nodded and turned to get into the car.

"See you, Sammy."

Dean climbed in, closed the door and started the engine. He took one last look at Sam before he drove off. As he got to the end of the street, he looked in his rear view mirror and watched Sam disappear in the distance.

**oooo**

Over the following years, Dean had continued to hunt, but had come back to occasionally check on his family, from a distance, at first. He'd make calls to them so they'd know he hadn't gone missing or worse, stopped caring. Much as he wanted to protect them from the hunting, he couldn't let them think that he had stopped loving them. Especially Sam. He had missed being together with him on the road, but wouldn't trade the loneliness for Sam's happiness for anything. Dean knew it was better this way. They had mended the distance between them and that had been enough.

His father had forgotten about their last argument and had also begun to believe that Dean was "doing better". Dean had told them that he had gotten a job where he traveled quite a lot to explain his lengthy disappearances. It wasn't a complete lie. He'd visit on the holidays, selfishly wanting to be with them every once in awhile. It helped to keep him away the rest of the time. Sometimes the desire to stay ached for him, but he always managed to convince himself that he was staying away for them, that it was the right thing to do.

Sam had started telling him about how much he had loved Stanford and studying law. Dean could only sigh at remembering how much Sam had wanted to become a lawyer. How he had robbed him of that dream by coming back and getting him. The demon may have killed Jess, but their life killed Sam's dream. Dean was convinced of that.

When Sam had started talking about Jess, Dean had encouraged him to go after her. When he had heard that Sam had fallen head over heels in love with her, it had warmed Dean's heart in so many ways. Dean had believed all along that Jess and Sam were meant to be together.

They had developed a routine about calling each other regularly, once a week at least, and though it wasn't as good as having Sam by his side, it was better than being without him. Hearing his voice gave him the needed strength and comfort to get him through every hunt.

On a recent hunt against a particularly pissed off spirit, Dean had been thrown so hard against a wall that he knew he had broken at least a couple of ribs. It had been bad enough that he knew he wouldn't be able to tape them up himself so he had checked into a hospital.

Once he had been x-rayed and patched up, they had asked him if he had someone he had wanted called. He'd told them that he'd call them himself. After the argument they had about getting calls from the police about him, he knew that getting a call from a hospital would raise even more suspicions and concerns that he'd have to answer to and dispel, disappointment he'd have to endure, as well as needless worry for his mom. He couldn't put them through that. Instead, he had called Sam while lying on a gurney and had acted as if nothing was wrong or that anything had happened.

It had turned out to be the happiest day of his life.

"So bro, what's your story?" Dean asked casually.

"I proposed to Jess," Sam spilled out excitedly.

Dean was struck silent for a second, but had never felt happier for Sam.

"Dean? Did you hear me? I proposed," Sam repeated.

"Yeh, I heard you. Give me a sec here. You just don't blurt something like that out. I'm just surprised, is all. Happy, but surprised," Dean explained.

"Yeh, it kinda blew Jess away, too," Sam said.

"I knew you were thinking about it, but what brought this on all of a sudden?" Dean asked with a smile.

"I don't know. We were at home, just watching some chick flick movie she wanted to see and I was watching her getting all teary-eyed over this movie and it just felt right, you know? I just asked her totally out of nowhere. At first, I didn't think she heard me, but then she did a double take and I asked her again only more romantically and she said yes." 

Dean found himself smiling from ear to ear as he listened to Sam recount the moment. It was exactly the way Dean could envision Sam asking Jess to marry him. He had been talking about it with Dean for about a week. How he was planning to get a ring and do this elaborate thing to propose, but Dean knew that Sam would follow his heart and as usual, he'd been right. Sam had always followed his heart.

"Well, it's about time!" Dean said. "I was worried she might figure out what a freak you really are before you got around to it."

"Thanks a lot, you jerk," Sam joked while laughing himself.

"You're welcome, bitch," Dean retorted back.

Suddenly, it got quiet on Sam's end and Dean got a little worried, "Sam? Are you still there? You're not getting cold feet already, are you?"

"No. No…" Sam denied, but Dean could hear the uncertainty in Sam's voice.

"Look, Sam, it's okay to be scared. It's a big step, but Jess is the best thing that's ever happened to you. I've never seen you so happy. I know you love her."

"Yeh, I do," Sam confirmed.

"Well, then, what else is there? Love is worth everything, Sam. Don't lose it."

"Who died and made you the voice of experience, huh?" Sam teased.

Dean paused remembering all he had lost in their other life together and sighed.

"I just want you to be happy, Sam and stay happy for the rest of your life," Dean finally said.

Sam felt that Dean was hiding something. That he really was talking from some kind of experience that he had never shared with him. Sam had heard the pain in his voice, but didn't know how to ask him where it was coming from.

"I know you do. I want you to be happy, too."

"I **am** happy, Sammy. My little brother's getting married," Dean said with a chuckle in his voice, the solemnity gone from it.

"You're going to be my best man, right?" Sam asked.

Dean had been taken by surprise again. For some reason, he wasn't expecting Sam to ask him that.

"Aren't you supposed to ask one of your best friends or something?"

"You **are** my best friend, Dean," Sam said.

Dean took in a breath and he thought he'd never feel as proud or as happy as he had felt at that moment.

"Dean? You'll do it, right?" Sam asked again.

"Wouldn't miss it for the world," Dean said, a grateful tone to his voice.

"Great," Sam said, then added, "Dean? Thanks."

"Sam, you don't have to thank me -" Dean insisted.

"No, no, not for that, I mean, yeh, thanks for being my best man, but I mean for everything. You know, for being there for me."

Dean really had to hold it together to keep from going totally girly.

"Where else would I be? You're my pain-in-the-ass little brother. It's my job to look out for you," Dean said, his voice cracking with emotion despite trying to keep control.

"Yeh, yeh," Sam said, but Dean could tell Sam understood how he felt.

"I'm gonna throw you the best freakin' bachelor party ever!" Dean said to break the chick flick moment.

"Yeh, well, better run it by Jess first."

"Man, you are SO totally whipped already!" Dean teased.

"Am not!" Sam protested, "Look, I gotta get to class. Talk to you later, okay?"

"You bet."

Dean hung up and sighed as he lay back on his gurney. At that very moment, he had never felt so much joy. Sam was getting married.

**oooo**

**TBC**

**Thanks to Tiffany for her exemplary beta-ing of this story. It's always appreciated!! Enjoy reading everyone. Hope you like it! **


	3. Chapter 3

**Why wishes can't come true**

**CHAPTER THREE:**

It was over. Dean had relished every moment he had been given to be there for Sam. Every moment had been a gift he knew he hadn't earned, but had been lucky enough to be graced with. Dean had always hoped that he would live long enough to give Sam the happiness he had deserved and was grateful that he had been given that chance. Dean had lived to see Sam become a married man and he couldn't wipe the goofy grin off of his face.

Jess had been breathtakingly beautiful, of course, in her white satin, strapless gown, and Sam had looked like Prince Charming in his morning suit with tails. Dean had stood dutifully next to Sam in his own suit. He had the ring in hand, ready to give it to Sam on the minister's say so. Dean would look over every once in awhile at their parents, watching them hold hands and gaze into each others' eyes reliving the time they had gotten married. He couldn't help but well up from the scene. As Sam and Jess completed their vows, were pronounced man and wife and kissed, Dean had never been more happy to be alive than at that moment.

The reception was full of joy, laughter and celebration. Dean couldn't remember a time when he had ever known that kind of delight and jubilation in his other life.

"May I cut in?" Dean asked Sam.

"Sure, I guess I can trust you," Sam glared humorously while handing Jess over to Dean for a dance.

Jess giggled as she danced in step with Dean.

"You look beautiful," Dean said.

"Thanks," Jess said shyly. "You're looking mighty handsome, yourself. Every woman, single and not-so-single, is drooling over you."

"Yeh, well, what I can I say? Just can't control the natural Winchester charisma," Dean joked as Jess giggled again.

Dean looked into Jess's eyes and she noticed something in them. It almost looked like regret.

"You okay, Dean?" she asked.

"Never better. My little brother is married to the most wonderful woman in the world," Dean smiled then paused for a second. "You know, I always knew you were the one for him."

"Thanks," Jess said as she smiled, but a part of her wondered if Dean had meant something more.

When it had come time to make his toast, Dean struggled to think of the right words. He knew he had to make them count.

"Sam and Jess. There is nothing on this Earth that could make me happier than to see two people I love and care about starting their lives together. Jess, you complete Sam. I have never seen him so full of love, joy, and happiness than when you came into his life. You are WAY out of his league, but I'll make sure that he never forgets how lucky he is to have someone who loves him enough to take the rest of us Winchesters on with him."

The crowd laughed and Sam's face was filled with admiration for his brother.

"Sam…what can I say? You know how I hate chick flick moments, but I'm going to make an exception, just this once, so don't get used to it," Dean joked then sighed. "You're my brother. And I'm proud to be called your brother. You mean everything to me and all I've ever wanted for you is to be happy and safe. I'd like to think that in some way, I've been watching out for you all your life, but now, you have Jess so I know you're in good hands. He's all yours, Jess."

The crowd laughed again. When it died down, Dean continued.

"Take care of each other," Dean said. "Never stop loving each other. "

Dean cleared his throat.

"I love you both. To Sam and Jess," Dean finally said as he raised his glass in tribute to thunderous applause.

It was a wonderful day, a day that Dean would never forget and would always cherish.

**oooo**

It had been a bitch of a hunt. Dean hated Wendigoes. He'd been tracking it for what seemed like miles, reloading his flare guns at least twice, barely missing it each time. He was glad that he was able to rescue the two little girls and get them back to their parents. He could concentrate on the pursuit knowing they were okay.

As he crept through the trees keeping all of his senses alert, listening and looking for signs of the Wendigo, he caught the swift movement through the brush and followed. But the Wendigo unexpectedly swiveled back around and swiped Dean so fiercely it tossed him into the air and into a nearby tree. Dean felt something impale his side and he cried out. He quickly blocked out the pain and regained his hunter's reflexes and focus. He raised his flare guns to shoot at it before it could come back for the kill or before he lost it in the forest again. One of the flares finally hit it dead center in the chest. Flames quickly engulfed it and it collapsed into a burning, sizzling heap on the ground.

"Got you, you son of a bitch," Dean spit out in triumph, as he dropped both guns in exhaustion.

When the adrenaline started to leave him, he finally began to feel the full force of pain from his injury. He grabbed his side and groaned. When he pulled his hand away, it was covered in blood, pooling heavily in his palms.

"Damn it…" Dean muttered as the pain and his draining energy pulled him down to the forest floor.

He braced himself against another nearby tree and lowered himself as softly as he could to minimize further damage and pain, but he already knew there was nothing he could do to patch up this wound. The blood flow was much heavier than just a simple cut or gash would produce so he knew it was deep.

Dean was breathing hard as if he had run a mile and his sight was swimming in front of him. Dean realized that given the way he was feeling, he was probably slowly bleeding out. He was too deep into the forest to walk back to the Impala and even if it was just a few steps away, he didn't think he would make it. He also knew that even if he called for help, they wouldn't find him in time.

Dean laughed. So this was how his life was going to end. It was finally all over for him. Why he found it funny, he didn't know, but he couldn't help it. He had defied death so many times, but he had always known that even he couldn't outrun death forever.

Suddenly all he wanted to hear was Sam's voice. He wanted it to be the last thing he heard. There was also a part of him that didn't want to die completely alone, to just fade away.

Dean had a family who would miss him, who would wonder what had happened to him, but would they ever find out that he had died? In the absence of hearing from him, they might assume he had fallen back to his old ways, the ways that had brought so much disappointment. He hated the idea of his corpse rotting away in the forest, his family thinking that he had left them without a single word, never knowing what had happened to him. It made him feel sad to think that, but he knew that he didn't have a choice. Still, he wanted to call Sam. He wanted to tell him how much he loved him just one last time. He punched Sam's speed dial and did his best to fight off the pain and unconsciousness.

"Hey, Dean!" Sam said excitedly.

"Hey…yourself…" Dean said, hoping to keep Sam's naturally suspicious nature from being alerted.

"Dean? Are you okay? You sound beat," Sam asked, noticing a breathy quality to Dean's voice.

"Yeh, yeh, I am. I just got back from a long, hellacious flight and I'm suffering some jet lag, but I wanted to call and check in with my worry wart of a brother before I packed it in for the night," Dean said, swallowing hard.

"Jerk," Sam laughed.

"Bitch," Dean said, feeling a little sad that it would be the last time he'd ever say that to him. "How's Jess?"

"Funny, you should ask –"

"What? What's wrong?" Dean asked, worried.

"Nothing. Nothing's wrong except maybe you becoming an uncle," Sam revealed.

Dean closed his eyes in pain, but also smiled with pride.

"Jess's pregnant?" Dean asked happily.

"Yeh, she just confirmed it today," Sam said, excitement back in his voice.

"Sammy, I'm so happy for you and Jess. My little brother is going to be a dad," Dean said and took in a breath. "I knew you had it in you."

Sam laughed again.

"Yeh, can you believe it? Me? A father?"

Dean felt himself getting weaker, but he would not ruin this moment for Sam. A swell of pride overwhelmed him, thinking of Sam as a father.

"Yeh, I can, actually. You're going to make an AWESOME dad. That kid is lucky to have you and Jess as parents."

"And you as an uncle," Sam said.

Dean's eyes were welling up, loving to hear Sam tell him he'd make a great uncle, but regretting that he wouldn't be there for Sam when his child was born and that he'd never know his niece or nephew.

"Yeh, I'm planning on teaching that kid how to drive you nuts," Dean said, finding himself feeling exhausted, much as he hated to end it, he had to tell Sam good-bye.

"You would," Sam teased.

"Look, Sam, I'm feeling the jet lag winning so I better hit the rack, but I'll call you later, okay?"

"Okay, Dean. I'm glad you called. I wanted you to be the first to know," Sam said.

"Me too. I'm proud of you Sammy," Dean said, his voice cracking a little.

"Don't go all maudlin on me. You know how you hate chick flick moments," Sam teased, but could feel his own voice fill up with emotion.

"Bite your tongue," Dean said. "Later, Sam."

"Later."

Dean hung up the line and with no energy left, dropped the phone. His strength was ebbing away. Feeling alone and uncharacteristically afraid, Dean let thoughts of Sam becoming a father fill his mind and he found himself sobbing softly. He closed his eyes for a minute when he felt a presence.

Even as weak as he was, he slowly grabbed one of the flare guns so as to not arouse whatever was approaching him, pretending to play dead. The irony of that thought made him inwardly scold himself for his gallows humor. _Couldn't be the Wendigo because I blasted that mother to Hell and they don't run in packs_, he thought to himself, back in hunter mode. He then slowly opened his eyes and turned towards where he felt it was, but was surprised to see who was walking up to him. It was Michalena. Dean dropped his gun and smiled.

"Hey…" Dean breathed out tiredly. "Guess I must really be dying then, huh?"

Michalena smiled that Dean would have any strength left to crack a joke.

"I couldn't let you die alone," she said softly as she bent down to be near him.

"Yeh, that's what you say, but your eyes, they say, you think I'm hot and couldn't stay away…" Dean joked.

Michalena could help but laugh. Dean Winchester was remarkable, laughing in the face of death.

"It's funny, you know," Dean said, his expression suddenly serious and sad. "I've been ready for this my whole life. I expected to die every time I went on a hunt, was sometimes surprised when I made it out alive. I was never afraid, but now…I don't want to go…I don't want to die…"

Michalena found her eyes welling up with tears, the first few cascading down her cheeks.

"Don't cry," he said, as he cupped her face and wiped her tears from her face with his thumb.

It was such a compassionate thing for him to do, to comfort her when he was the one dying. She then clasped onto his hand with her own and held on.

"I'm so grateful for what you've given me…how you've given Sam a chance at a normal life…a wife, a child on the way…I can't regret a single thing…because you gave me a taste of it, too. I'll never forget it," Dean said as he shook from a wave of pain, squeezed her hand, and groaned. "Can I ask for one more thing?"

"Of course," she said.

"I don't want them to think I left them…that I disappeared without…without saying good-bye, you know? Or have them think…I stopped caring…" Dean wheezed. "Can…you tell them what happened to me? Whatever you tell them…is okay with…me…I just don't want to…leave them not knowing…"

Michalena nodded as she was overcome with her own emotions. She didn't want him die, but couldn't stop it. She could only grant wishes and for all her wishing that he'd live, she couldn't wish life for him nor could he wish life for himself. Her power wasn't unlimited, and she had already changed his destiny once. It was beyond her abilities to change it a second time.

Dean shivered and trembled, "Thank…you…"

Michalena watched as Dean's eyes closed and he took his last breath. Her empathy for him was rushing through her and she felt tremendous grief and immeasurable loss for someone she knew had filled the world with a powerful presence. His compassion, his drive to save innocent people, his love for his family, his devotion to them and to a brother he would do anything for, give anything for washed over her. She crumbled and wept, seemingly inexorably.

**oooo**

**TBC**

**Thanks to Tiffany for her exemplary beta-ing of this story. It's always appreciated!! Enjoy reading everyone. Hope you like it! **


	4. Chapter 4

**Why wishes can't come true**

**CHAPTER FOUR:**

Mary and John were gathered together for dinner with Sam and Jess at their home. They had just heard the news that Jess was pregnant and that they were going to become grandparents. Mary squealed at the prospect of having a grandchild to spoil and John was busting with pride for his youngest son. Sam had told them that he had talked to Dean yesterday to tell him the news and that Dean had been excited about becoming an uncle.

Michalena could feel the joy from beyond the front door. It poured out into her and she smiled as she let it fill her. She hated to break such happiness with the news of Dean's death, but she had a promise to keep. Trembling, she knocked on the door. When it swung open, it was John Winchester who greeted her. She put on the best smile she could muster and introduced herself.

"Hello, Mr. Winchester?" she asked out of courtesy.

"Yes," John replied.

With her hand offered then taken, she took in a breath, "My name's Michalena Watson and I'm sorry to bother you, but I'm a friend of your son, Dean."

"Oh, well, good to meet you, please come in," John offered, feeling a growing pit in his stomach that he couldn't explain.

Michalena entered tentatively. She was dressed professionally with a suit and briefcase in her hand. She hoped her ruse would be convincing.

"Everyone, this is Michalena Watson, a friend of Dean's. This is Mary, my wife, Sam, my son, and his wife, Jess," John introduced and Michalena shook each hand respectfully.

"Nice to meet all of you," she said.

"Where's Dean?" Sam asked quickly, the hairs on the back of his neck rising, concern etched on his face.

"Uh, that's what I'm here about…" Michalena felt her chest ache and the air in her lungs seemed to be draining from within her.

"What? What is it?" Sam asked, worry filling his body despite Jess's comforting touch.

All of them now looked worried.

"I…don't know how to say this…"

"Just say it!" Sam yelled impatiently.

"Sam!" Mary scolded.

"No, it's okay, I'm sorry. I'm making this worse. This is very hard for me, but I'll come right out with it. I'm afraid Dean was killed yesterday," Michalena grimaced at the severity of the words she had just uttered, but she couldn't think of any softer way to tell them.

Mary went white and slumped into the nearest chair. Jess was shocked speechless and Sam…Sam was the picture of horror and denial.

"No, no, you're wrong. You're lying! I just talked to him yesterday. I told him that I was going to be a father, that he was going to be…no, he's not dead. He's NOT!"

"He was found at the national park, his cell phone in his hand. The last call he had made was to you at 4:00 yesterday afternoon," Michalena explained, hoping Sam would find some comfort in knowing that the last person Dean had wanted to talk to was Sam.

Sam could no longer hold himself up. He, too, like his mother, felt his knees buckling under him and the world seemed to be spinning too fast. John grabbed his son and guided him into a loveseat where Jess joined him. John then went to sit by Mary. He turned to Michalena, his face a stoic mask.

"Please tell us what happened," John said.

"May I sit?"

"Of course," Mary said, regaining some of her composure. 

Michalena pulled a chair up to the coffee table, laid her briefcase on it and opened it. She pulled out a manila folder then closed the briefcase again. She flipped open the file. She cleared her throat and took a deep breath.

"Not only am I Dean's friend, but I'm also his lawyer. Dean had designated me as his emergency contact, which is why the police called me. Dean had wanted to spare you from getting a call about him if anything ever happened."

All of them looked crushed with sadness and guilt remembering the argument they had about not wanting to get any more calls from the police about him and his activities. Michalena was drowning in the overwhelming emotions that were in the room and was struggling to keep her head clear.

She pulled out some newspaper articles and fanned them out on the table. The headlines were about people getting brutally hurt or killed by some creature or another and about how some of them had been saved by some mysterious man.

"When Dean was killed, he was saving two little girls from a creature in the park that had been killing other campers for years. Everyone assumed it was a grizzly bear given the wounds, but Dean had known what it was and was the only person who could have stopped it. There was nothing conventional law enforcement could do or any conventional weapon that could be used to kill this beast. Dean did kill it, but not before it had wounded him mortally."

"You mean, he called me while he was…" Sam said, his voice lost and confused. "He sounded okay, tired, but he told me it was jet lag. Why didn't he call for help instead of calling me?"

"He was bleeding to death and knew he was beyond help. I think he just wanted to say –"

"Good-bye…" Sam finished, his voice cracking, his throat constricting from losing the battle against the pain of his loss.

"Yes."

"Why was he there in the first place? Why was it up to him to kill whatever this thing was?" John asked.

Michalena knew this would be the hard part. Convincing his family that Dean had been a supernatural hunter would be difficult, maybe impossible, but she felt that she couldn't let Dean's work go unnoticed, especially by his family.

"What I'm about to tell you, I know, is going to sound unbelievable, maybe even crazy, but I want you to know that I'm of sound mind and that Dean was, too. You see, he saved my life, too, many years ago and from something that no one would have believed me if I had told them what it was," Michalena looked into their eyes with a sincerity she hoped they could see and feel because she felt it completely. "Please don't judge until you've heard everything."

They all looked frightened, but seemed willing to hear her out.

"Despite our seemingly simple lives, there are things…bad things…evil things out there in the dark that only a few people ever have the misfortunate to cross paths with. It's why stories about such things become legend and fodder for the vivid imaginations of horror moviemakers, but to each legend, there is a grain of truth, a thread that can be drawn to something real and that really exists. Truth can be stranger than fiction and many times what seems like fiction can come from some kind of truth. I was a victim of one. That family was as well. I truly believe that the only reason that we are even safe in this world is because of people like Dean. You see, he didn't tell you, but he was chosen to hunt those monsters of the night that we ignore as fairy tales. If it weren't for him, I'd be dead, those little girls would be dead. If you read the articles, you'll find the one from yesterday where they tell the reporter that a man in a leather jacket saved their lives. That's the truth."

Michalena took in a breath. She hoped she was doing a good job at painting Dean's heroism. She hoped that the articles would, if nothing else, prove to them that Dean had rescued people, had helped them, and had cared about them. If she did that alone, she would be satisfied.

"Dean didn't want you to know because he was afraid of putting you in danger. He loved you all so very much. You meant everything to him and he told me that doing the job made him feel like he was keeping the bad things away from you, that he was keeping you safe, protecting you," Michalena said. "He thought about giving it up many times to stay with all of you, to be just like everyone else, but he couldn't. He couldn't live with the thought of people dying because he hadn't been there to help them, knowing that he could have saved them. It wasn't arrogance. He didn't want any credit for it. He just wanted to help people and he knew he had the kind of skills to do it. He couldn't let his happiness be at the cost of others' lives. It was the kind of man he was. He may not have always loved the job, but he loved saving people. You would have been proud of him."

Michalena smiled at the thought of his legacy.

The room fell silent as the Winchester family processed all that Michalena had told them and though she wasn't sure if they fully believed her, they weren't kicking her out so she took that as a positive sign.

"Where is he?" John asked.

"He's at the McNair Mortuary in town," Michalena informed and they nodded in understanding. "You should know that his last request was to be cremated."

She watched the faces in the room and decided there was nothing more she could do for them.

"I'm sorry for your loss and that I had to bear the news to you, but I want you to know that he was a good man, a good friend, and a hero. If there is anything I can do for you, my card is with the file. Call me anytime."

Michalena took her briefcase and left the articles behind for them. She stood up and walked to the front door. Mary, suddenly, stood up and walked towards Michalena. She then hugged her gently.

"Thank you for being his friend and for your kindness to us," Mary said as she broke the hug and looked into Michalena's eyes.

Michalena could only nod. Mary's loving gesture reminded her of Dean so much. She then left them, quietly closing the door behind her.

Sam reached towards the articles still looking dazed as if in another world, and began to read them. Every account was the same, people getting killed by some mysterious beast or an unknown force and every person saved described a man saving them, putting himself in danger to do it, but then disappearing without being thanked.

Sam had never known about this side of Dean. Dean hadn't shared it with him. He couldn't blame him for that. Sam probably wouldn't have believed him. Besides, the Dean he knew wasn't much different from the Dean in those articles. He had always been a hero to Sam. He had never let him down, but knowing that Dean was gone, that he'd never be able to save another life, more selfishly, that he would never see his brother ever again, was crushing for Sam. Dean would never see Sam's child born. Dean would never be there for him ever again. Sam then turned into Jess's arms, hugged her tightly and felt his body quake with wracking sobs. Jess joined him. She could hear Sam cry out Dean's name over and over again into her welcome shoulder.

**oooo**

The funeral had been simple, nothing grand, as Dean would have wanted. He had been cremated, also as he had wished. What the Winchester family hadn't expected were the many kind strangers who had come to pay their respects to them and especially to Dean. There were people from all walks of life. Many had introduced themselves as people Dean had saved. They hadn't learned his name, but once they had seen his picture, they had recognized who he was and had to come to honor his memory with his family. They had shared stories of Dean's heroism with them. Even the family of the girls Dean had died saving came to share their gratitude with them. Sam listened with awe to all of the stories and the ache in his heart deepened with every remembrance.

Others introduced themselves as fellow hunters who had either known Dean by reputation or had proudly claimed the privilege of having fought by Dean's side. One in particular, Bobby Singer, seemed hit hard by the loss. He approached John and Mary and shook their hands.

"I'm so sorry for your loss. I wanted you to know that you raised a fine young man. He had a compassion for others that I admired. He never lost sight of the lives he saved. You have every reason to be proud of him."

John and Mary thanked him gratefully for his kind words.

Bobby then walked over to Sam as if he knew him.

"You must be Sam," Bobby said with a smile.

Sam could only nod and shake Bobby's hand.

"Dean always talked about you. He was real proud of you."

"Thanks, but…" Sam said, his voice barely a squeak. "I don't deserve that pride…I…never believed him…I…"

Sam's guilt for not believing Dean about the hunting he did overwhelmed him and Bobby had seen the look in his eyes.

"Is there somewhere we can talk?" Bobby asked.

Sam nodded and led Bobby away from his family and the many mourners.

"Sam, it's all right. What Dean did, what we all do, isn't something you advertise," Bobby said, hoping to comfort Sam.

Sam smiled a little, but the look of grief returned.

"I should have believed in him, but…I was embarrassed by him…I thought he was…"

"Crazy?" Bobby finished with a small smile.

Sam nodded.

"It's all right."

"No, it's not. He was my brother. He was always there for me, always believed in me. I should've done the same for him, but I didn't…and I…let him down…"

"Sam, Dean never felt like you let him down. Never. In fact, he was glad that his relationship with you hadn't suffered because of what he did. I can't say the same for the rest of us hunters. We usually lose contact with our families, sometimes for their own good, other times because they couldn't handle the truth of what we did, all kinds of reasons, but not Dean. You were too important to him so he did everything he could to make sure he was there for all of you. He always put you first. You were his reason for living."

"But he had to lie to us the entire time, pretend to be someone he wasn't - "

"To protect you, to keep you safe, yes, he kept the life secret. But he was still the same Dean you knew and loved."

"No, I think he kept it from us because he didn't want us to be disappointed in him, to judge him and we would've…I would've…"

"Sam, you have to know that your brother loved you all. He would have done anything for you, to make sure that his life never touched yours. In fact, he was determined that it never would. So don't go blaming yourself. It's not what he would have wanted. He made his choices for all of you and never regretted a one."

Sam took in Bobby's words. They had made sense. It was something Dean would have done and it gave him a sense of comfort.

"Thanks, Mr. Singer –"

"It's Bobby. Mr. Singer was my old man," Bobby teased as he produced a note pad and pen then scribbled something on it. "If you ever need anything or want to talk, you don't hesitate to call me, all right?"

Sam took the note and put it in his pocket.

"Thanks. I'd like that. I'd like to learn more about the Dean you knew."

"Anytime. Dean was a hero, Sam. Make no mistake. Everyone here will tell you that."

Bobby patted Sam on the shoulder and walked away.

Sam watched as Bobby walked off and as more mourners continued to come up to talk to their parents. Sam could feel the immense gratitude coming from everyone. Knowing that they had appreciated Dean for all he had done for them told Sam so much about a brother who had made the very same sacrifices for him, for his family.

Still, he couldn't help wishing that he could have Dean back to have more time with him. He shook his head thinking that wishes don't come true.

Michalena stood close by. She felt Sam's thoughts and smiled.

**Fin**

**Thanks to Tiffany for her exemplary beta-ing of this story. It's always appreciated!! Hoped you like it and will forgive the Dean death! **


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